


The conservation of momentum (after a collision between ε and ζ in an isolated system)

by Gammarad



Category: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Republic of Two Systems Independence Day Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:55:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23624962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gammarad/pseuds/Gammarad
Summary: The idea that occurred to Sphene was simple. What if two entirely separate problems, the problem of creating credible evidence for the Conclave and the problem of no longer being able to get ancillaries from Athoek, had a single solution?  Hwae didn't want those people anymore. Sphene might as well make use of them.
Relationships: Sphene & Pahlad Budrakhim
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18
Collections: Republic of Two Systems Independence Day Exchange 2020





	The conservation of momentum (after a collision between ε and ζ in an isolated system)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aegypius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aegypius/gifts).



> This story is part of the Republic of Two Systems Independence Day exchange, and a gift for [Gyps Fulvus](https://gyps-fulvus.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> Thanks for your prompts! I hope you enjoy the story.
> 
> Many thanks to KalynaAnne for helpful beta assistance. Any remaining error or awkwardness is my own.

Sphene was attempting to create evidence to sway the Conclave. Forge was too strong of a way to put it, Sphene argued in silent internal disagreement -- it was true evidence that didn't happen to exist in fixed form. The three ancillaries with the best physical aptitudes worked for hours using techniques Sphene had recorded over thousands of years. "The Presger will be able to tell it's fake." Zeiat didn't seem to mind Sphene trying to put one over on the official judges of Significance, although Sphene did mind that she thought Sphene couldn't do it.

"Carbon dating, materials, wear, every parameter checks out." Sphene didn't number ancillaries the way Radch ships did. The one who was on the Station to get feedback on Sphene's efforts was the bulkiest of the three that were working on the evidence, with a bald head, broad shoulders, and thighs like short-distance drive nacelle tubes. 

"Presger have more parameters." Zeiat waved her arm in a motion that maybe meant something to her, or maybe it was exercise. Hard to tell with a Translator. "Even I can tell this is new. Its texturing is pseudo-random, not real random. It's _made._ "

The ancillary who had been showing the attempt to the Translator left without saying a word, which would have been rude if Zeiat was human. Since she wasn't -- Sphene was sure the Translators were something else entirely -- it didn't count. It was annoying not to be able to be rude when one wanted to be.

Sphene brainstormed solutions in a semi-disconnected state with the five ancillaries on-ship. Leaving out the ancillaries that were on Athoek, because brainstorming with a time delay was inefficient. What one wanted was instant responses externally and time-delay internally to each part, that was what worked for Sphene and what had given Sphene the ability to be company while isolated for years on end for century after century. That, and the variety provided by sourcing ancillaries from recent years, so their memories were up to date with the galaxy and their interests were modern. That practice had kept Sphene from being a relic of antiquity, and Sphene wasn't about to give it up.

Which thought led to -- there was a planet called Hwae that kept a prison colony. The residents considered people sent there legally dead. This meant they were perfectly legal to take for ancillaries, Sphene considered, and it was perfect to do it now, because the Hwaeans were also obsessed with historical artifacts and their legitimacy. That meant Hwaean criminals were very likely to have excellent forgers among them. Sphene could get some improved forgery skill along with fresh bodies and memories.

It was tricky to get there via gates; there were only a few. But Sphene managed the trick. Raiding the prison colony for forgers was also difficult, but only in the sense that Sphene didn't want to be caught doing it. There were a few close calls, but Sphene thought that in the end the getaway had been clean. Ancillaries had asked around about forgers, and picked up three prisoners who had such a reputation, as well as everyone who looked suspicious about the ancillaries and those immediately around the targets. Sixty bodies all told, a substantial stocking up of supplies that had made the trip worth the risk, Sphene decided. Though perhaps not something to do again very soon.

One of the forgers was in good shape both physically and mentally, so Sphene made her an ancillary right away. Sphene was frustrated to discover that she didn't have any skills that improved on the ones Sphene already had, though the knowledge of Hwaean artifacts was new and entertaining. Sphene found it very amusing to think of how upset the Hwaeans would be if they knew how much of their precious history was forged.

Another of the forgers was in terrible shape both physically and mentally. This one went into storage. She could be fixed up physically perhaps, but Sphene didn't need the stress of taking on a new disturbed mind at this difficult time. If Sphene's surroundings were ever calm enough again for boredom to set in, perhaps adding her would be a good distraction. Nearby events probably would be calm someday, even if right now it seemed unlikely. History tended to work that way. 

The third forger was somewhere in between. She was thin and ill-fed, but mentally fine, self-possessed and fully compartmentalizing her traumatic experiences. Sphene was impressed, and decided to keep her up and about in order to make it easier to feed her and get her healthy and perhaps use her forging skills without having to integrate with a body in such terrible condition. That was why, obviously, and not because Sphene thought she'd be interesting company. Sphene didn't need the company of people, especially potential ancillaries. Awkward, but still the best way to go in this particular case.

The skinny forger seemed to really like eating skel. Sphene approved. It would be easy to get her fitness to an acceptable level at this rate. A year or two of eating well and exercising and she'd be in great shape. Dressed in the proper clothing Sphene had found for her to wear, she even looked mostly civilized.

Because of the new ancillaries -- Sphene had integrated a blackmailer and a robber as well as the forger -- Sphene knew Bantia and a couple other common languages of Hwae, but didn't like to speak them if it wasn't necessary. So initially an ancillary addressed the skinny forger in Notai. "Enjoying the food?" It was mildly sarcastic. She ate any food she was given as fast as she physically could, and Sphene had to be careful not to give her so much she made herself sick by overindulgence.

"Food very good," the forger said in halting Notai. "Gratitude." It was a formal word for thanking, but not quite right under the circumstances. Sphene forgave the error because a foreigner knowing Notai at all was respectable. 

"You can speak Bantia to me if you like," the ancillary said to the forger in Notai. "I understand it. I don't like how it sounds when I speak it." Sphene was feeling generous. 

"Your Notai is beautiful," the forger said in Bantia. "I imagine that's exactly what it was spoken like in the old days." She ate some more skel. "What is this I'm eating? It's very satisfying food."

"You know what language should sound like, but don't know skel when you eat it?"

"It's skel?" The forger looked at her bowl with appreciation. "I've always wanted to try skel. Of course I know about it, but I didn't expect it to look exactly like this. Usually it's depicted as -- greener." 

"Usually it _is_ greener. My stock was preserved a long time, and discoloration happens. So, you might be wondering why you're here." The ancillary touched six fingers together in a gesture of query. Probably one that the forger wouldn't recognize, it was an Athoeki gesture. Sphene had picked up some of those from the last few centuries' ancillaries.

The forger went still. Skel stopped rapidly disappearing into her mouth. She set the utensil down slowly, her knuckles going pale with the effort. Sphene watched her stress signals rise, then subside, as she prepared to answer.

"I'm here for the same reason Radchaai ships usually take captives, isn't that right?"

"Not exactly." Sphene wasn't sure what she meant. It could be "transport to indentured labor" or "turned into an ancillary" or something else - held hostage? Different ancillaries had had different opinions about the Radch before they were incorporated into the ship. Sphene thought the current answer was the first one, indentured labor. "Are you thinking you'll be sent to work in the tea plantations?"

"Something like that," the forger said calmly, though her pulse spiked. 

"No, that won't be your fate. I took you because I wanted your help with creating evidence. You're supposed to be a skilled forger of Hwaean historical artifacts." Sphene brought in one of the ancillaries who had worked on the documents Zeiat found lacking, carrying a small stack of them along with some of the real ones that had been serving as examples. With a slight bow, Sphene set the various created and scavenged pages in front of the Hwaean.

"What are these?" she asked. Rather than pick them up, she quickly finished her skel, then looked at the gloves on her hands. "Is it safe to touch them with these?" 

Sphene nodded with both ancillaries at the forger. "Good question. I'll get you some outer gloves to ensure no contamination." The ancillary who had brought the skel went to get sterile gloves. 

Once she had them on, the forger picked up one of the pages. "This is from within the Radch proper?" Her eyebrows were raised toward her hairline in an exaggeration of the surprise Sphene could read in her. 

"As am I," Sphene said. "My name is Sphene."

"Not many even know of the Gem class of ships," the forger said. Sphene noticed how pointedly she was not giving her own name in return, and felt a little more unwilling admiration of this person. She was knowledgeable and unforthcoming, as few humans were.

"Accurate but irrelevant. As I am one, I would know." Sphene paused, then decided to ask, since it was clear she wouldn't offer. "What is your name?"

"Does it matter? If I am not to be indentured to farming work, you'll probably put me in storage and turn my body into a corpse soldier," the forger said.

"If I did that, I'd know your name."

"You'd know what it used to be." The forger had moved on to the second page. "I think this one's fake."

She was correct, which Sphene found both cheering and annoying. Annoying that Sphene's work had apparently failed not just to fool Presger Translators but also some humans; cheering that the failure of that effort had demonstrated success in finding someone whose skill might improve on what Sphene already had. "Why do you think that?"

"There's less marginalia, and there's one that looks like it's by the same hand that wrote the original document. Usually those additions are made later. One piece of marginalia does look like it showed up later, but--" the forger paused, considering her phrasing. "When I read it, there's some aspects of the language that seem more modern. Take this part. It's about tea, but this kind of tea was commonplace to the Notai, wasn't it? It's special and treasured now, but they're acting like they feel that way about it already." 

Sphene had been there in the place and time the document was supposed to have been written, had had significant experiences there, but that was thousands of years ago. Sometimes it was difficult to remember exactly how everything had felt then, down to the details of what had been ordinary then that was extraordinary now. "Keep going. Tell me which ones you think are originals."

She did get a few wrong, but she did much better than guesswork would have, and she had reasons that she shared. Sphene found the process and explanations more enjoyable than expected.

As the forger wrapped up her explanations, Sphene reached and spoke an unexpected conclusion. "No, I am not going to make you part of myself." It was true, though surprising to them both. "I don't think I would have had these insights, even if I'd incorporated your skills. They are part of your viewpoint, not your forgery knowledge. If you had my history with the Notai, it would overwhelm all the study you did that gives you the outsider's perspective."

The forger didn't appear to believe the words completely. But she did seem like she was willing to be convinced. Physical comforts often had that effect on people, and this one's requirements for what counted as comforting seemed very minimal. "Really. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give you a name to call me. Pahlad."

This was a point where most humans would want to be touched, but it was clear Pahlad didn't. Sphene respected that about her, too. "Help me figure out how I can fix these, the ones you've identified as fake," Sphene said. "Except this one, it's real." Tapping the one false positive identification that Pahlad had made. 

"No, I don't think so. Maybe that one fooled you, I guess you didn't fake that one, but someone did." Pahlad seemed really sure. Sphene began to have doubts. Maybe that one ought to be one of the next ones sent to show to Zeiat. "I think faking documents to show the Presger is not quite the right idea, but I'll help you think of a better one," she said. 

Sphene was satisfied enough. Either they'd work together on Sphene's original plan or they'd make a new one. No one had a clue Sphene had these Hwaeans at all, and it would stay that way if Sphene could help it. As a stranger to Sphene and to the conflict between the Republic and the Radch, and also someone none of the others, not Mercy of Kalr or Justice of Toren or Athoek Station, not their crew or residents, certainly not the Usurper, knew about -- Pahlad's viewpoint might prove invaluable.

Part of Sphene definitely was starting to _like_ Pahlad. That was irrelevant and also probably temporary. Having her aboard for long periods of time should get annoying after a while, as it did with most people. But maybe this would work out. Neither of them could ever go back home, for one. It was always easier to get along when both parties had something important in common.


End file.
